July 10, 2019 – Straight from the Heart

I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted an update concerning our home improvement (demolition). The truth is, we had to take a break from it.

We began taking up the carpet on Monday, May 27, 2019. And it’s been quite an undertaking for two oldies who have never done this before.

EVER!

To top it all off, two days into our demolition, we had a car accident. A woman ran the red light and hit us on the driver’s side. No one was hurt, thankfully. However, It was the week of Labor Day, so it was difficult getting her insurance to follow through, leaving us without a rental for five days. At least we had the truck, or so we thought. But, it wouldn’t start.

Six weeks, and two car rentals later (the first one broke down on us and our car is still in the shop) this is the progress we’ve made:

Moving furniture

Moving more furniture

Pulling up the carpet. Hubby has bad knees, so I get the honors. Getting up the carpet is the easiest part. It’s the padding and staples and carpet strips that’s tough.

All rolled up and ready to go out the door.

This used to be our front porch

Doggie and water stains.

Water damage.

Kilz to the rescue!

Hubby doesn’t do Kilz.

I wanted laminate flooring, but it’s not waterproof. We have two dogs. We need waterproof. So, we settled for vinyl plank flooring. It’s 100% waterproof and is more durable than laminate. Time will tell. By the way, it has a 30 year guarantee; an added plus.

The beginning of a learning experience we will never forget and will never want to do it again!

Two, long, frustrating, weeks later, the living room is done.

This was a total nightmare!

Looking better.

Great! The plyboard is too thick.

Finally! We got it fixed!

This tiny hall was worse than the worst of the worst. Eight times hubby had to take it up, re-measure, and put it back down before it finally fit right. We were on the verge of divorce. We bought boxing gloves instead, Just kidding.

Finally!!

Hubby hates doing the closets. He’s claustrophobic. Been that way ever since he served four years in the Navy.

This was a Freddy Krueger kind of nightmare. Three layers of glued down linoleum. Took us two days to pull it up.

See that tiny room in the back? That’s the laundry room. I dread getting started on that because of the having to move the washer and dryer onto the back porch. That’s tomorrow’s project.

This is where the refrigerator lives. Thank goodness for a heavy duty hand truck. And for hubby who handled most of the weight. I hate moving appliances!